Vintage Rolex Oyster Perpetual

Did you know that watches were first invented sometime in the sixteenth century? Ever since then, watches have become a very convenient as well as a stylish piece of clothing and many find it hard to go about their days without one. Today, there are all sorts of watches you can choose from and one of the most luxurious is the vintage Rolex Oyster Perpetual watch.

But what exactly is so special about this model? How do you know if it’s the right watch for you? Continue reading to learn more about the Oyster Perpetual’s humble beginnings.

A Brief History of the Vintage Rolex Oyster Perpetual Watch

This watch has quite a long history that spans almost 100 years. It first started in 1926 when the Rolex brand decided to take the plunge and create a revolutionary watch case that was both resistant to dust and water. This was quite new and exciting at the time since nothing like that had ever been done before.

Unsurprisingly, it was an immediate hit and it worked quite well. It was this case that gave the watch the name “Oyster.” A few years later in 1931, the Rolex brand decided to release a very unique feature for the time which was the self-winding feature.

Before that time, it was necessary for the person wearing the watch to wind it up every so often so that it would keep ticking and, of course, keep the time. As you can imagine, this could get quite annoying if you happened to forget to wind the watch. Then you would have to wind it up from scratch just to get back to the current time.

But with the self-winding feature, people wouldn’t have to worry about this problem ever again. This feature is what gave the watch the title “Perpetual.” Two of these little aspects together created the Rolex Oyster Perpetual watch and it was so successful that it is still being sold in create quantities even today. This may not be too surprising to you since, after all, this watch is very convenient as well as stylish.

This is not just a watch for men either. In 1964, the Rolex brand realized that this watch was so popular among men that it only made sense to release a model for women. That too was a huge success for the Rolex brand and these watch models for women are still being sold with great gusto.

Innovations

However, the history of this watch does not end there. The Rolex brand ensured that this watch model continued to evolve and remain modern over the years. For example, in 1986, many of the Rolex timepieces from this collection started to use sapphire crystal in some of the watches to give them a unique new look, and this feature would later make its way to the Oyster Perpetual line.

Only in 2014 did the brand decide to overhaul the model and release it as an exclusively stainless steel model in several different sizes such as 26mm, 31mm, 34mm, and 36mm. The very next year in 2015, the brand came out with yet another size that was even larger: 39mm. And finally, in 2020, the brand decided to release yet another size as large as 41mm, discontinuing the 39mm entirely.

That way, there could be many different sizes to fit many different-sized wrists and appeal to different styles. Today, with all of its unique features, styles, and size options, this is certainly a great watch model to add to your collection whether it is a new Rolex or a used Rolex.

What Are the Features of an Oyster Perpetual Rolex Watch?

While you have already seen some of the features of this watch model, it is important to take a more in-depth look. As you have already seen, the two main features of this watch are the fact that it has a waterproof and dustproof case known as the oyster case and it has a self-winding mechanism. While these two features may seem quite simple today, they were very revolutionary at the time in which they were released.

And even today, these features still make this watch a very convenient option. What you should know is that, in today’s market, there are many watch models that have the Oyster Perpetual name attached to them. For example, there is the Oyster Perpetual Yacht-Master and the Oyster Perpetual Milgauss, as well as the Oyster Perpetual Submariner and many others.

All of these watches are unique in their own right and they all have special features that make them quite varied and attractive. At the same time, they still have the classic oyster case and the self-winding mechanism so that they stay true to their roots. Because the Oyster Perpetual name is on so many different watch models, it is important not to get confused with what kind of watches the models are.

What You Need to Know

Just because a certain model name is attached to the title of Oyster Perpetual doesn’t mean that they are exactly the same. In general, Oyster Perpetual does not refer to a collection of watches but instead the fact that a given watch has the classic oyster waterproof case and a self-winding mechanism. This makes it easier to see what kind of features the watch has right off the bat.

You also have to be careful with watches that seem like they’re Oyster Perpetual watches but actually aren’t. For example, many people thought that the Oysterquartz watch was a regular Oyster Perpetual watch, but this is not true since it was really a different model entirely. Understanding these different models can be difficult at first, but once you become more familiar with different Rolex watch models, you’ll find that it will become easier to tell what you’re looking at.

For one, a real watch of this model should have “Oyster Perpetual” written on the front of the watch dial just under the Rolex brand name. Whatever the case, now that you know more about the features that this watch has to offer, you might be wondering more about its price as well as what kind of style options it has to offer.

Different Oyster Perpetual Rolex Styles

The first thing you should know about this watch in terms of style is that it has several different bezel styles that you can choose from. When you buy a Rolex, whether it be new or used, it is important to always choose the model that resonates with your style the most. If you choose a watch based on its features alone, you might dislike its appearance so much that you might not even want to wear it.

For the bezel of this watch, there are three main options. The first is a smooth bezel which, of course, gives the entire watch a very sleek and minimalist look. On the other hand, the other option is the fluted bezel which adds a bit more personality and texture to the entire watch.

Finally, there is the engine-turned option which is also very stylish and unique. You might not think that these small variations in the bezel can make any difference, but they can. Just by changing the appearance of the bezel even slightly such as by having a smooth bezel instead of a fluted one, the watch will look entirely different.

But what about the dial? Over many years, the dials for Oyster Perpetual watches have been noticeably quite simple and minimalistic. It doesn’t have anywhere near as many features or decorations as the dials of other watches.

However, this is not to say that the dials are always boring. On the contrary, one thing that has always stood out about the dials of these watches is the color.

Colors

There have always been plenty of color options for these dials such as green, gold, blue, and so on.

The color of the dial, as with the style of the bezel, goes a long way in terms of making the watch look as unique and stylish as possible. There are also more neutral and classic shades such as black, white, and gray. But what about the wrist strap of the watch?

Bracelet

The bracelet has almost always been made out of metal, specifically stainless steel. The majority of the watch is made out of this metal, including the dial and the bezel. The wrist strap in the past, however, was occasionally made out of leather and other materials.

Today, the stainless steel choice reflects well on the entirety of the watch and gives it a very classic yet modern look. Interestingly, there are a few vintage watch models that are made out of real gold. Of course, these are very hard to find now and they are few and far between.

However, some serious watch collectors have managed to add them to their collections. Whatever the case, the standard models of the Oyster Perpetual watches are all very stylish and versatile. You can easily style them with just about any kind of outfit and they will function with only the utmost efficiency and convenience.

How Much Is the Rolex Oyster Perpetual Watch?

The exact cost of this watch will depend on a variety of factors such as whether you get the watch new or used. However, the good thing about this watch is that it has the unique reputation of being one of the cheapest watch models out of the Rolex brand’s entire collection. This, of course, is ideal for those looking to save a bit of money before they spend it all on a watch.

Some vintage watches are especially affordable, depending on their condition. Of course, the price will depend on whether those vintage watches are particularly rare or if they’re just ordinary watches from a different time period. Usually, these vintage watches will sell for a few thousand dollars.

However, if you have your eyes on a rare vintage watch such as one that is made out of gold or one that has a rare feature, you might have to pay tens of thousands of dollars, if not more. For new watches of this type, the exact price can also be hard to pin down.

This is because these watches are so popular that they sell out as soon as they become available. This is also true for those that boast colored dials. This is not too surprising since these watches are relatively affordable as well as stylish.

Retail Prices

The retail price for a new Oyster Perpetual watch is between $5,500 and $6,400. However, the watches rarely sell for this price range but instead sell for more due to certain premiums. For that reason, if you’re looking to save money on this watch, it might not be a great idea to buy one that is brand-new.

Instead, it would be a better idea to buy a watch that has been owned before. Pre-owned watches never sell as much as new watches, and they usually haven’t been used that much and work quite well. Of course, this does not mean that you can get a watch for dirt-cheap.

You likely will still have to pay a few thousand dollars for a used watch, but even so, it will still be several thousand dollars less than what you would have to pay for a new model.

Whether you’ve got your eye on a new or vintage Rolex Oyster Perpetual watch, this model, in general, offers plenty of benefits. Not only is this watch convenient to use, but it is also very stylish.